Tile floob construction



Dec. 19, 1922.

A. 0. THOMAS.

TILE FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

FILED JAN-20,1921- //All 1 a mmnto'a I27. 0. 1 Avila 0.7Zamav.

Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

AVILA O. THOMAS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TILE FLOOR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 20, 1921. Serial No. 438,571.

' To all whom it may conce n:

Ze it known that I, "Avnn Q. T'HoMAs,

a c t zen of the United States, residing at tiles o l such form that their abutting ends term a channel 111 which may be poured concrete or the like to -form a beam;

The use of the members traversing said channel to both maintain the tiles in proper abutting relation and to transmit the weight oi the tiles (and the load. therefrom) to said beam is another feature of the invention.

A. further object is to form a hollow block of two superposed tile members having complementary engaged ribs and having porticns interlocking to resist relative horizon tal movement.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, showing a portion of a tile floor constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing also a portion of an exterior wall supporting said floor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion. oi Fig. 1 showing how the abutting ends of the blocks provide a channel for receiving and molding a poured beam of cementitious material.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view Ora wedge forming a tensioning means for the tie members connecting said hollow blocks.

In these views the reference characters 1 and 2 designate upper and lower complementary tile members, which. jointly form. hollow blocks. The upper memliiers l have transverse depending ribs 3 at their extremities and the lower members 2 have complementary upstanding ribs 4!.- set back a short distance from the ends of said members. Also abutting ribs 5 are formed upon the upper and lower members adjacent their longitudinal edges. The end portions of the lower tile members 2 abutting as indicated at 6 form the bottoms of channels, the sides of which are formed by theribs 3 and 4, jointly. Concrete or the like is poured into said channels, forming a beam 7 to which the weight of the adjacent tiles and the load thereupon is transmitted. The members 8, which support the hollow blocks upon the beams 7 function also as'tie incn'ibers to maintain the upper a d lower tile members pi er compleme rary relation and to insure a proper almtting relation of adjacen't iower tile members, The tie members 8 are arranged i transverse pairs, di agonally traversing the channels through the beams 7, each having at one end a head 9 and being engaged at its other end by suitabletensioning means. It is preferred to form the members 8 from strap iron or from sheet metal strips, each being bent at one extremity to produce the T shaped head 9, and having its other end portion formed with a return-bent portion 10, within which may be engaged a tensioning wedge 11. Said tie IHGIIIbBIS and their tensioning elements form the subject matter ot a companion application. As shown, the heads 9 oil the tie members abut against the lower tile members and the tensiouing means engage the upper tile members. It is pret? rred to form said tile members with V- shaped pockets 12 which receive the heads and tensioning means of the tie members. each oif said. pockets havingone wall trans verse to the corresponding tie and apcrtured as indicated at L5 to give passage to said tie. said walls providing suitable bearing surfaces tor the heads 9 and wedges ll. tive endwise movement of; the complemeir tary tiles of each block is prevented through an interlock established between said tiles by forming depending abutments A upon the upper tile in such position as to adapt them to engage the opposing faces of the ribs 41-, of the lower tiles. Thus tensioning of the tie members 8 will not disarrange the proper complementary arrmrgemeut ot the tiles. A special L-shaped tile 1;; used where a floor employing the described con struction is supported by an exterior wall such as is indicated at 16., said tile being arranged within said wall and co-operating with the adjacentfloor blocks to torm a channel within which a cement beam 17 is poured.

The described construction is substantially fire prooi and affords comparatively inexpensive means tor effectivelytrussing,

Belareinforcing and securely uniting the adjoining members of the structure. It enables a very rapid assembling of the parts and permits the beams to be poured in their positions of use integrated in the structure without the employment oii'ternporary molds or forms as is commonly required in cement floor construction. a

What I cla'imis: i t

1. In ;a floor construction, the combination with adjacent hollow blocks, each formed ct complementary upper and lower tiles, the lower tiles having abutting ends and having transverse upstanding ribs adjacent said ends, and the upper tiles l'iaving transverse depending ribs attheir ends seating upon said upstanding ribs, said upstanding;- and depending ribs forming the sides of a channel opening in the top surface of the .iioor and the abutting end portions forming the bottom of said channel, said complementary tiles having interengaging portions interlocked to resist relative end-wise movement, a poured beam Within said channel, and tie members diagonally traversing said channel and einbedded in said beam, terminally en aging upper and lower tiles of said adjacent blocks.

2. In a floor construction, the combination with adjacent hollow blocks, each formed of complementary upper and lower tiles, the lower tiles having abutting ends and having transverse upstanding ribs adjacent said ends and the uppertiles having transverse depending ribs at their ends seating upon said upstanding ribs,said upstanding and depending ribs formingthe sides oi a channel opening-in the top surface ofthe floor and the abutting end portions-forming the bottom or said channel, one or: the complementary tiles of eachbloek having integral, projections engaging said transverse ribs oi the other tile to resist relative endwise movement of the two tiles, a poured beam within said channel, and tiememb'ers diagonally traversing said channel and embedded in said beam, terminallyiengaqing upper and lower, files of said'adj afcent blocks.

In testimony whereof I signthis specificati on.

AVILA 'o. THOMAS. 

